Gerard la Pucelle
Encyclopedia
Gerard la Pucelle was a peripatetic Anglo-French scholar of canon law
, clerk, and Bishop of Coventry
.
in the 1150s, when the study of the discipline of the Church was first differentiated from theology
, spurred by the collections of church decretal
s that began with the Decretum Gratiani
assembled by a monk at the University of Bologna
. Among his surviving texts are gloss
es on the Decretum manuscripts to be found among the manuscripts of Durham Cathedral
and glosses in the Summa Lipsiensis marked with the siglum 'Magister G. Coventris Episcopus' ("Doctor G. Bishop of Coventry"), and occasionally in the Summa Parisiensis
, and elsewhere. Gerard added to the standard collection from which he taught. Among his pupils were Lucas of Hungary, Ralph Niger
, master Richard, a certain Gervase who retired to Durham, and the English scholar Walter Map
.
Gerard was a member of Thomas Becket
's entourage, his extended familia
, and a close friend of John of Salisbury
. After Becket went into exile, Gerard taught for a while in Paris before he undertook a mission to the Empire
in 1165/66 even though Frederick Barbarossa was under a ban of excommunication
. In 1168 Gerard returned to England and took the oath of fealty to Henry II
, which Becket had rejected. With papal permission and that of Louis VII of France
he was permitted to reside—and doubtless teach— in Cologne
, which was one of the most important centers of canon law scholarship in the 1160s and 1170s.
From about 1174 he was once again in England, serving as a principal clerk to Becket's successor as Archbishop of Canterbury
, Richard of Dover
. He was also with Peter of Blois
for a time in Rome, where he represented Archbishop Richard before the Curia
. In 1179, Gerard attended the Third Lateran Council as the archbishop's representative. From there, he may have returned to Cologne to teach for a bit, but by 1181 Gerard had returned to England.
Perhaps already a canon
, in January 1183, he was appointed Bishop of Coventry, which made him the vassal
of Henry II of England, but he died the following year on 13 January 1184 at Coventry
. Some suspected that Gerard was poisoned. He was buried in Coventry Cathedral
.
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
, clerk, and Bishop of Coventry
Bishop of Coventry
The Bishop of Coventry is the Ordinary of the England Diocese of Coventry in the Province of Canterbury. In the Middle Ages, the Bishop of Coventry was a title used by the bishops known today as the Bishop of Lichfield....
.
Life
Gerard was possibly born in England, taught canon law at the University of ParisUniversity of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in the 1150s, when the study of the discipline of the Church was first differentiated from theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, spurred by the collections of church decretal
Decretal
Decretals is the name that is given in Canon law to those letters of the pope which formulate decisions in ecclesiastical law.They are generally given in answer to consultations, but are sometimes due to the initiative of the popes...
s that began with the Decretum Gratiani
Decretum Gratiani
The Decretum Gratiani or Concordia discordantium canonum is a collection of Canon law compiled and written in the 12th century as a legal textbook by the jurist known as Gratian. It forms the first part of the collection of six legal texts, which together became known as the Corpus Juris Canonici...
assembled by a monk at the University of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
. Among his surviving texts are gloss
Gloss
A gloss is a brief notation of the meaning of a word or wording in a text. It may be in the language of the text, or in the reader's language if that is different....
es on the Decretum manuscripts to be found among the manuscripts of Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...
and glosses in the Summa Lipsiensis marked with the siglum 'Magister G. Coventris Episcopus' ("Doctor G. Bishop of Coventry"), and occasionally in the Summa Parisiensis
Summa Parisiensis
The Summa Parisiensis is an anonymous commentary on the Decretum Gratiani from about 1170.- References :The “Summa Parisiensis” on the “Decretum Gratiani”, ed. T. McLaughlin, Toronto 1952....
, and elsewhere. Gerard added to the standard collection from which he taught. Among his pupils were Lucas of Hungary, Ralph Niger
Ralph Niger
Ralph Niger, Latin Radulphus Niger or Radulfus Niger, anglicized Ralph the Black , was an Anglo-French theologian and one of the English chroniclers. He was from Bury St...
, master Richard, a certain Gervase who retired to Durham, and the English scholar Walter Map
Walter Map
Walter Map was a medieval writer of works written in Latin. Only one work is attributed to Map with any certainty: De Nugis Curialium.-Life:...
.
Gerard was a member of Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
's entourage, his extended familia
Familia
Familia was the name of a Polish political party led by the Czartoryski magnates and families allied with them, and formed toward the end of the reign of King August II...
, and a close friend of John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury , who described himself as Johannes Parvus , was an English author, educationalist, diplomat and bishop of Chartres, and was born at Salisbury.-Early life and education:...
. After Becket went into exile, Gerard taught for a while in Paris before he undertook a mission to the Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
in 1165/66 even though Frederick Barbarossa was under a ban of excommunication
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
. In 1168 Gerard returned to England and took the oath of fealty to Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
, which Becket had rejected. With papal permission and that of Louis VII of France
Louis VII of France
Louis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England...
he was permitted to reside—and doubtless teach— in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, which was one of the most important centers of canon law scholarship in the 1160s and 1170s.
From about 1174 he was once again in England, serving as a principal clerk to Becket's successor as Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, Richard of Dover
Richard of Dover
Richard was a medieval Benedictine monk and Archbishop of Canterbury. Employed by Thomas Becket immediately before Becket's death, Richard arranged for Becket to be buried in Canterbury Cathedral and eventually succeeded Becket at Canterbury in a contentious election...
. He was also with Peter of Blois
Peter of Blois
Peter of Blois or Petrus Blesensis was a French poet and diplomat who wrote in Latin. Peter studied law in Bologna and theology in Paris...
for a time in Rome, where he represented Archbishop Richard before the Curia
Curia
A curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i.e. more or less a tribe, and with a metonymy it came to mean also the meeting place where the tribe discussed its affairs...
. In 1179, Gerard attended the Third Lateran Council as the archbishop's representative. From there, he may have returned to Cologne to teach for a bit, but by 1181 Gerard had returned to England.
Perhaps already a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
, in January 1183, he was appointed Bishop of Coventry, which made him the vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
of Henry II of England, but he died the following year on 13 January 1184 at Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. Some suspected that Gerard was poisoned. He was buried in Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current bishop is the Right Revd Christopher Cocksworth....
.
Further reading
- S. Kuttner and E. Rathbone, "Anglo-Norman canonists of the twelfth century" Traditio 7 1949–51 p. 279–358
- Pennington, Dr. Ken "d.-glosses, appear in a strata of Bolognese glosses composed during the 1180s" Bibliography.
- Weiler, Dr. Bjorn review of Joseph P. Huffman, Family, Commerce and Religion in London and Cologne: Anglo-German Immigrants, c.1000-c.1300 (Cambridge University Press, 1998) and Joseph P. Huffman's response (on-line)